Skip to main content

Preview Brazil vs Croatia

FIFA World Cup Preview: Brazil v
Croatia
11 June 2014 15:57
FIFA World Cup hosts Brazil go into the opening
game against Croatia carrying the weight of a
nation's expectation on their shoulders.
Football's greatest showpiece kicks off this
Thursday at Sao Paulo's Arena Corinthians,
with both sides looking to get their Group A
campaigns off to an ideal start.
There is no doubt the greater pressure will be
on Brazil, staging the finals for the first time in
64 years, desperate to avoid a repeat of the
Maracanazo.
In what was effectively the final between Brazil
and Uruguay in 1950, the home nation fully
expected a glorious triumph, but their
opponents stunned a packed Maracana and ran
out 2-1 winners.
Home hopes are just as high in 2014 -
especially given Brazil's success in last year's
FIFA Confederations Cup - and they may feel
buoyed by the fact that the host country has
never lost its opening tournament fixture.
It was under current head coach Luiz Felipe
Scolari that Brazil last won the World Cup in
2002 and they have been in impressive form in
the build-up to the finals, winning 15 of their
last 16 matches in a run stretching back to
June last year.
Far from becoming a burden, Luiz Gustavo
believes the backing of a partisan crowd can
only aid the team.
"I believe that we, us players together with
Brazilian fans, we can get this going throughout
the whole tournament and that together we can
get it," he said.
"We got the Confederations Cup. And now in
the World Cup, we are counting on the support
from everyone. We want the support of all the
fans since together we can, step by step, reach
the end objective."
Croatia qualified for the finals courtesy of a 2-0
aggregate victory over Iceland in the play-offs
and have won their two most recent warm-up
friendlies, against Mali and Australia.
Head coach Niko Kovac concedes his team will
go into the game as underdogs, but insists his
players are not there to simply make up the
numbers.
"As the host team, Brazil is a clear a favourite,"
he said. "But we feel optimistic and we won't
be raising the white flag."
Key man Luka Modric meanwhile, fresh from
winning the UEFA Champions League with Real
Madrid, is aware of Brazil's threat, but pointed
to Croatia's team ethos as their fundamental
strength.
"Brazil has a phenomenal team, from defence
to attack, they are all world class," he said.
"They have no weak point.
"Most important for us is that as a team we
are real, and not one person. Croatia are
neither Modric nor (Ivan) Rakitic, Croatia
gained good results when we all fought for
each other."
Fears over an ankle problem for Brazil forward
Neymar were quickly allayed earlier this week,
while Croatia continue to sweat on the fitness
of Danijel Pranjic, who suffered an ankle injury
in Saturday's 1-0 win over Australia and is
undergoing treatment.


Posted via Blogaway
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Report from ESPN about barca vs man city

Lionel Messi and Daniel Alves punished 10-man Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at the Etihad Stadium. Four-time World Player of the Year Messi struck from the penalty spot with 54 minutes gone after being brought down by Martin Demichelis , who was sent off. • Tomas : Barca midfield in control at City City had their chances but Barcelona dominated possession throughout and were rewarded when Alves struck the second in the last minute. City had set up well in an attempt to soak up Barcelona pressure and catch them on the break but the task proved beyond them after Messi punished a mistake early in the second half. The Argentinian raced away and, although replays suggested contact by Demichelis may have been just outside the box, a straight red card was brandished and the penalty awarded . The hosts kept on pressing but they failed to make the most of their opportunities and they were picked off again as t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ballon d'Award 2013

Madrid and Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or following a stellar year for club and country. Ronaldo scored an incredible 69 goals for Real and Portugal throughout 2013, and has been rewarded ahead of Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery at Monday's awards ceremony in Zurich. The former Manchester United man was last recognised as the best player on the planet when he was awarded the now-defunct FIFA World Player of the Year in 2008. Since then, Ronaldo has played second fiddle to Messi, with the Barcelona star winning the final World Player of the Year prize in 2009 before then reeling off three straight Ballons d'Or after FIFA and  France Football  merged their awards in 2010. Messi had to settle for second place on the podium this time around, however, while Bayern Munich winger Ribery finished third. Ronaldo becomes the first player since compatriot Luis Figo in 2000 to collect the Ballon d'Or despite not winning a major trophy in the cal...
Post a Comment
Read more

Daina One Direction

One Direction Diana is a single from their new album "Midnight Memories". "Diana" is an uptempo song. [Liam] The front pages are your pictures, They make you look so small, How could someone not miss you at all? (Oh-ah-oh) [Harry] I never would mistreat ya, Oh I’m not a criminal, I speak a different language but I still hear your call. [All] Diana, Let me be the one to light a fire inside those eyes, You've been lonely, you don't even know me, But I can feel you crying, Diana, Let me be the one to lift your heart up and save your life, I don’t think you even realize baby you’d be saving mine. Diana [Niall] It’s only been four months but, You’ve fallen down so far, How could someone mislead you at all? (Oh-ah-oh) [Louis] I wanna reach out for you, I wanna break these walls, I speak a different language but I still hear you call. [All] Diana, Let me be the one to light a fire inside those eyes, You've been lonely, you d...
Post a Comment
Read more